Greatest Hits Albums Can Distort a Band’s Legacy

Can you know every hit and still not really know the band? In this episode of Dave’s Side One, Dave makes Musical Argument #4: greatest-hits albums can distort a band’s legacy. Using Chicago’s Chicago IX as the primary example, Dave explores what disappears when songs are removed from their original albums: deep cuts, longer arrangements, instrumentals, transitions, sequencing and context. That does not make compilations bad. In fact, they can be some of the best entry points into a catalog. The key is not to stop there. Dave also introduces The Greatest Hits Test: What does this compilation tell me about the artist? And what does it hide? Side One Spin: What greatest-hits album introduced you to a band—and did it make you go deeper?